Australian climate tech company UPowr is excited to announce its partnership with On by EnergyAustralia to offer eligible New South Wales homeowners a solar and battery system with no upfront costs – with the help of an interest-free loan from the New South Wales Government's Empowering Homes Program( https://www.energysaver.nsw.gov.au/browse-energy-offers/household-offers/apply-empowering-homes-solar-battery-loan-offer) . It promises to make access to solar and batteries easy and affordable, says Mark Brownfield, EnergyAustralia's Chief Customer Officer. "When it comes to getting solar and batteries it can be hard to know where to start. It can be complicated and confusing – not to mention expensive. With our Solar Plus Plan we'll do the hard work for customers, taking care of the system selection and arranging for the installation," said Mark. "But the really exciting bit is that you'll pay nothing upfront. You pay off your solar and battery system over seven years*, simply by paying your energy bill. We'll make the loan repayments on your behalf from what you pay for your electricity. It's a game changer," he said. Customers agree, with Mark saying their trial of a similar no up-front cost solar and battery deal was keenly embraced. This encouraged EnergyAustralia to roll out this offer to people in select postcodes in the Endeavour and Essential Energy distribution areas. Customers taking up the offer get a high-quality system that's right for their home. It includes a 5.85kW tier one solar system, an inverter and 10.1kWh battery - valued at over $13,000. On by EnergyAustralia arranges for the installation. EnergyAustralia uses smart software to balance the customer's electricity supply from the grid, solar and battery. The battery will form part of EnergyAustralia's Virtual Power Plant – a network of batteries helping to support the grid. "Homeowners continue to use their electricity and be charged for it like they were before. They pay a competitive rate that is lower than today's standard default rate and this rate applies regardless of whether their electricity comes from the grid, solar or battery. Plus the rate is locked in for the seven years*.  "Then once the seven years* is up that's it – they own the solar and battery system outright," said Mark. Solar Plus Plan will use UPowr's cleantech software to manage solar and battery system design, installation and warranty management inside a single digital experience, streamlining the end-to-end process. The software synchronises with UPowr's Installer platform, enabling the fast and efficient deployment of field operations to get assets installed safely and securely by experienced, local professionals. This partnership is a major step for UPowr on its mission to empower people and businesses to accelerate the world beyond net zero emissions. "Lowering the barrier to entry is the most impactful thing we can do to achieve mass adoption of solar and battery systems. EA's fixed-rate energy plans are a great way of pursuing this," says Stu Philpot, Co-Founder and CEO at UPowr. Affordability and Battery Coupling Key to a More Sustainable National Energy Grid Solar and battery adoption in Australia is expected to grow to more than $5 billion by 2025, but affordability is key to realising that potential. Coupling residential solar generation with battery storage is essential to increasing the electrification of the National Energy Grid (NEG), and ensuring a sustainable supply of renewable energy. Batteries can help reduce the overall cost to serve and manage grid voltage issues, while providing a standing reserve of energy. Virtual Power Plants are networks of battery assets, optimised remotely by a single entity to help address some of the constraints of an NEG awash with solar energy. VPP's are predicted to become the dominant vehicle for solar and battery sales in the medium term, helping homeowners extract even more value from their residential solar and battery assets, and ultimately result in lower energy costs and a greener grid. -END- * The 7-year period commences from the date the system is installed at the customer's property. About Empowering Homes Empowering Homes is an initiative from the NSW Government to help households access clean renewable energy and cut their electricity bills. This solar battery loan offer allows eligible households in eligible postcodes to access an interest free loan to install a battery or solar battery system in their home. For more information visit www.energysaver.nsw.gov.au. About UPowr: UPowr is an Australian climate tech startup with a mission to help drive electrification and accelerate the global transition to an electrified energy system. We enable businesses to accelerate a world beyond net zero with our built-for-purpose software, making it easy to design, deploy and manage clean energy systems at scale. SOURCE: UPowr